1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for processing character information in which character strings of one or more lines are transferred or printed on a printing medium having limitation on its longitudinal and/or transversal dimensions. This invention can be applied to, for example, a seal producing apparatus in which a seal is produced by selectively irradiating ultraviolet light onto a seal face member made of ultraviolet-curable resin to cure the portions of the seal face member corresponding to an inputted character string (i.e., transfer an inputted character string to the seal face member), and removing the portions not cured.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a seal producing apparatus with which persons other than experts or manufacturers specialized in producing seals can easily produce a desired seal, there has been heretofore proposed a seal face producing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 6-278350.
The seal producing apparatus disclosed in this application comprises: (a) a seal face member made of resin in which the state of the portion subjected to rays having a predetermined wavelength (e.g., ultraviolet light) becomes different (for example, cured) from that of the other portions, so that unevenness can be formed thereon with the aid of a predetermined fluid; (2) information processing means for processing information of the imprint pattern corresponding to the pattern formed by recessed and projected portions of the seal face member ; (3) negative film preparing means for preparing a negative film carrying thereon the imprint pattern formed by print processing based on the imprint pattern information; (4) negative film conveying means for conveying the negative film thus prepared from or to the place where the light is irradiated; and (5) ray irradiating means for irradiating the rays having a predetermined wavelength via the negative film onto the seal face member made of resin.
The above-mentioned patent application discloses details of how to form unevenness on the seal face member based on imprint pattern information introduced by the information processing means, but fails to disclose details of how to introduce the imprint pattern information. Specifically, the above-mentioned application merely discloses that means for introducing inputted character string (including not only a keyboard but also a mechanism for controlling the keyboard), and so-called image scanners which are employed in word processors, personal computers, or the like can be used as the information processing means for introducing the imprint information.
However, the conventional information processing means employed in word processors or personal computers and adapted to introduce inputted character strings are designed without paying any regard to the fact that the information of the imprint image is reflected to the seal face member. Specifically, such means has no particular function of reflecting the information of a seal pattern.
Accordingly, in the conventional art, when the user inputs information of an imprint pattern consisting of a character string, the user has often to do many operations associated with an arrangement of the character string, such as deciding a character size, and deciding the number of lines (in particular, executing slewing), in view of the seal face member. The operation of inputting a character string, when performed solely, rarely raises difficulties in operability. However, the operation is accompanied by other operations for appropriate arrangement of the character string, such arrangement serving as information of the imprint pattern, the user must perform many operations, resulting in considerably lowered operability.
Further, if the user forgets to perform such operations for appropriately arranging the character string (for example, performing slewing), a seal having a smaller proportion of the imprint pattern portion (black ratio) based on the total area of the seal face is produced, thereby giving unnatural impression.
A printing sheet serving as a printing medium used for a word processor has a limitation in the number of characters to be printed. However, if characters whose number exceeds the limit are input, it is sufficient to use another sheet to print the characters which cannot be printed in the first sheet. Accordingly, there is no substantial limitation in the number of characters to be inputted. In contrast, the seal face member on which an imprint pattern is reflected has fixed longitudinal and transversal dimensions. Therefore, the number of characters to be contained in a seal face member has an upper limit (restriction) even though the smallest character size is employed, and as a matter of course the characters overflowing the limited number of characters cannot be reflected on another seal face member.
Accordingly, input methods employed in word processors or personal computers cannot be applied to seal producing apparatuses as they are in view of such limitation imposed on the number of characters to be inputted.
Meanwhile, among tape printing apparatuses adapted to print an inputted character string on a tape, there is an apparatus employing a character input method in which limitation is imposed on the number of characters to inhibit the input of characters overflowing the limited number, thereby preventing the production of an unusual label (formed by cutting a printing tape) having an unnecessary length. Such a method having a function of restricting the number of characters to be inputted appears to be applicable to a seal producing apparatuses.
However, there is a great difference between a tape and a seal face member in that the tape has no limitation in its longitudinal dimension while the seal face member has limits in its longitudinal and transversal dimensions. Therefore, when the character input method employed in a tape printing apparatus is applied to a seal producing apparatus as it is, sufficient effect cannot be necessarily obtained. Accordingly, when an seal producing apparatus to which the character input method employed in a tape printing apparatus is directly applied is used, there are some problems as follows: the user knows that the character input was improper for the first time when the user executes printing or activates a layout display and is informed by the display that the inputted character string cannot be printed as it is.
Further, the seal producing apparatus has a function of registering a kanji compound word, but limitations are imposed on the number of characters of the kanji compound word and on the number of characters representing the reading of the kanji compound word. Under the state that the number of determined characters reaches the limited number, after operations of determining a kanji compound word to be registered and storing it for registration or an operation of determining the reading of the registered word are executed, in some cases inputted candidate characters not converted remains at the tail thereof. In particular, in the case where a selection dial, which is rotated to designate an input candidate character, is employed, even when the user slightly touches the dial by mistake, an input candidate character is sent, and the above-mentioned state is likely to take place. Conventional apparatuses do not respond to such an instruction of storage for registration issued under the above-mentioned state, and continue to display the same contents as before. Therefore, the user is required to delete the input candidate character and thereafter perform an operation of issuing an instruction of storage for registration. Thus, the user was required to issue an instruction of storage for registration as many as two times.
Further, for appropriate arrangement of a character string, the user has to determine the character sizes for the respective lines. However, it is difficult for the user to know whether the imprint pattern is appropriately arranged on the seal face member when the character size is determined. Therefore, there are many cases where inappropriate character sizes are set.
Meanwhile, among tape printing apparatuses adapted to print an inputted character string on a tape, there is an apparatus of the type in which specific character sizes for the respective lines are automatically determined by the apparatus even when the user do not input them (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 7-125376).
However, as described above, a tape associated with a tape printing apparatus has a limitation imposed on its transversal dimension but does not have any limitation on its longitudinal dimension. Therefore, the function of a tape printing apparatus that specific character sizes are automatically determined for the respective lines cannot be applied to a seal producing apparatus associated with a seal having limitations in both transversal and longitudinal dimensions.
In view of various problems described above, there has been a need for a seal producing apparatus equipped with information processing means endowed with a particular function of reflecting imprint pattern information on a seal face member.
The above-mentioned problem arises not only in a seal producing apparatus having a seal face member formed with unevenness but also in a seal producing apparatus having the seal face member from which ink partially oozes to form an imprint image on a sheet. Further, the above-mentioned problem also arises in a character information processing apparatus which employs a print or transfer medium having such limitations as imposed on the arrangement of the character string in the seal producing apparatus. More specifically, such a problem arises in the case where a character string is developed and displayed within a display area having fixed dimensions, such as a window display in a personal computer or the like.